BUSINESS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2020
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7
IN THE WORKS:
Planning Commission to meet about homeless shelter
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
One of the biggest proj-
ects Hermiston has cur-
rently “in the works” is a
potential new homeless
shelter.
I’ve reported on the
project, known as Step-
ping Stones, in the past, but
some of that reporting took
place before the Hermiston
Herald greatly expanded
our readership, so I thought
I would recap some of the
basics for our new readers.
The city of Hermis-
ton’s planning commission
meets Wednesday, July
8, at 7 p.m. at the Herm-
iston Community Center,
415 South Highway 395,
to discuss new zoning rules
that would be specifi cally
designed to govern Step-
ping Stones or any other
similar projects proposed in
the future. The hearing will
be one of many opportuni-
ties people will have to give
feedback, including future
city council meetings on
the issue.
Stepping Stones, as pro-
posed, would be located
on a little under an acre of
property behind the Agape
House, just north of The-
ater Sports Park. The newly
formed Stepping Stones
nonprofi t’s board, led by
Cathy Lloyd, is proposing
a fenced-in encampment
of 25 Conestoga huts and a
community building.
The small huts would be
available for an individual,
couple, or single parent with
a child. They do not have
running water or electricity,
but people living in them
could access electricity to
charge their phones or for
other uses in the community
building, and could access
the Agape House’s show-
ers during the day (organiz-
ers hope sometime in the
future to build a shower and
restroom facility).
People sleeping in the
temporary shelter would be
asked to clean out their hut
completely each morning
at 7 a.m. and leave for the
day, and would only be able
to return after 7 p.m. after
checking in with volunteers.
They would have access to a
locked bin outside their hut
to store belongings during
the day.
Lloyd testifi ed during
the April 28 city council
meeting where this proj-
ect was fi rst proposed that
after the shelter got up and
running, guests would be
required to earn credits
to continue to hold a spot
there. Those credits could
be earned through opportu-
nities designed to help them
escape homelessness, such
as a job or studying for their
GED or other education.
The zoning amendments
that will be discussed at this
week’s planning commis-
sion would create rules for
temporary emergency shel-
ters, such as a homeless shel-
ter or a shelter set up after
a natural disaster. Accord-
ing to the agenda packet for
the meeting, the ordinance’s
provisions include:
• The shelter must be
sited with an “existing
permitted industrial use”
instead of taking up a
vacant property.
• It must be between
one-half acre and 1.5
acres and be behind a
sight-obscuring fence at
least 6 feet tall.
• The density must not
be more than one shelter
unit per 1,400 square feet
of space.
• Shelters must meet
safety standards, such as
a smoke detector in each
unit
• Showers, restrooms
and a pet area must be
provided
• It must be at least
1,000 feet from a school
or other shelter
The agenda packet notes
that the city has received
complaints from residents
who believe such shelters
should also be required to
be at least 1,000 feet away
from city parks, but that is
not currently written into the
proposed ordinance.
The full agenda packet
for the meeting can be found
online at hermiston.or.us/
meetings. If you attend a
planning commission or
city council meeting about
the topic, be aware that in
keeping with Oregon’s cur-
rent mask mandate, every-
one present at city meetings
must now wear a mask, and
chairs will be spaced at least
6 feet apart.
Former Walmart DC manager switches jobs
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
A familiar face at one of
Hermiston’s largest employ-
ers has taken on a new role.
Josh Burns, who served
as general manager of the
Walmart Distribution Cen-
ter in Hermiston, left that
role at the end of May. As of
July 1, he now works as an
insurance agent for Swanson
Insurance Group.
Burns said owner Luke
Swanson told him months
ago he should join up and
thought he was joking when
he said, “Sure.” But Burns
took the necessary test and
applied for a license.
“I’ve been in large-scale
HH fi le photo
Josh Burns, then manager of the Walmart Distribution Center
in Hermiston, speaks as members of his leadership team look
on at the Distinguished Citizens Awards in 2018.
leadership for almost my
whole career,” Burns said.
“Now I get a little bit more
say in what my day looks
like.”
He said he had always
admired Swanson’s work-
life balance and the way he
makes time for coaching
sports and volunteering.
One thing that drew
him to Swanson Insurance
Group is that it doesn’t have
an offi ce — everyone works
from home, allowing them
more time with family, and
then visits customers at their
business or another public
place.
“These are all folks who
are really busy, so we don’t
want to make them come to
us. We can go out and meet
them where it works for
them,” he said.
Burns spent 14 years in
total working for Walmart,
after a career in the Air Force
before that. He said his posi-
tion at the distribution cen-
ter meant that to move up he
would need to move away,
and his family had already
decided that Hermiston was
“home.”
“I’ve only ever worked
for the government and for
the world’s largest corpora-
tion, so this is a big change,”
Burns said.
Swanson said he was
pleased to be able to work
with Burns, who has been
prominently involved in the
community not only as a
business leader but also in
roles, such as a Rotarian and
former Hermiston Cham-
ber of Commerce board
president.
“I’m super excited to
have Josh,” Swanson said.
“His reputation in town is
second to none.”
Swanson
Insurance
Group started in 2018 and at
fi rst had a partnership with
Simmons Insurance Group,
but as of July 1 is now
independent.
The business deals in
several different types of
insurance, including per-
sonal, commercial and agri-
cultural policies. They cur-
rently have a staff of four
people.
Swanson said his aim to
go beyond selling insurance
policies and to help guide
businesses.
“We want to be there
with them as their business
is growing,” he said.
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Daren and Paulette Dufl oth, owners of the Riverside Sports
Bar in Umatilla, recently announced that they would be
changing the name of the restaurant to The Bridge in a nod to
the nearby bridge spanning the Columbia River.
Riverside Sports
Bar changes name
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
Since COVID-19 hit, it’s
been out with the old and in
with the new at Riverside
Sports Bar in Umatilla.
Now that includes a name
change.
Owners Daren and Pau-
lette Dufl oth unveiled the
new name in a recent Face-
book video, rechristening
the restaurant The Bridge.
The name and the new
logo, they said, reference the
bridge that spans the Uma-
tilla River as it reaches the
Columbia River in Umatilla.
“It’s really exciting for
us,” Daren said.
The restaurant at 1501
Sixth St. has undergone
major renovations since it
closed down in March due
to the pandemic. Those ren-
ovations included remov-
ing the stage and poles that
had hosted exotic dancers
throughout the business’
26-year existence.
Now The Bridge will be
a family-friendly venue with
a new menu. They recently
opened for dine-in and take-
out, but will offi cially hold
their grand opening on Sat-
urday, July 25, all day, with
a ribbon-cutting ceremony
at 1 p.m.
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